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**★★★★☆**

In the kaleidoscopic cosmos of experimental electronic music, few artists dare to venture as far into the abstract ether as Seamus Malliagh, the Irish producer who operates under the wonderfully cryptic moniker Iglooghost. His 2021 offering, *Lei Line Eon*, represents perhaps his most ambitious sonic expedition yet – a bewildering, beautiful descent into what can only be described as digital psychedelia for the TikTok generation.

Before *Lei Line Eon*, Iglooghost had already established himself as something of an outlier in the electronic music landscape. His 2017 debut *Neo Wax Bloom* announced him as a purveyor of hyperkinetic beats and otherworldly soundscapes, while subsequent releases saw him collaborating with the likes of Flume and earning nods from Aphex Twin himself. Yet nothing quite prepared listeners for the sheer audacity of his latest full-length venture.

The album emerges from what Malliagh describes as an obsession with "cellular mythology" and the intersection between organic growth patterns and digital decay. It's heady stuff, but thankfully the music speaks louder than any conceptual framework. *Lei Line Eon* exists in a genre-defying space that borrows liberally from IDM, footwork, ambient music, and something that might generously be called "future garage" – though such labels feel woefully inadequate when faced with Iglooghost's singular vision.

From the opening moments of "Sylph Fossil," it's clear we're in for something special. The track builds from whispered field recordings and crystalline chimes into a full-blown assault of stuttering percussion and synthetic textures that seem to breathe and multiply of their own accord. It's like watching time-lapse footage of coral growth, if coral could process information at quantum speeds.

The album's standout moment arrives with "Pulse Amber," a seven-minute odyssey that begins as a meditation on negative space before erupting into one of the year's most euphoric electronic compositions. Malliagh layers gossamer melodies over fractured breakbeats, creating something that feels simultaneously ancient and impossibly futuristic. It's the sound of discovering ruins on an alien planet, only to realize they're still very much alive.

"Sylph Fossil (Steamed)" – yes, Iglooghost has a thing for parenthetical song titles – serves as the album's emotional centerpiece, stripping away much of the rhythmic complexity in favor of haunting ambient passages that recall the more introspective moments of Boards of Canada or Tim Hecker. Here, Malliagh proves he's not just a master of controlled chaos but also understands the power of restraint.

The album's most immediately accessible track, "Shrine Hacker," marries pop sensibilities with Iglooghost's trademark maximalism. Built around what sounds like a heavily processed vocal sample, the song manages to be both utterly alien and strangely catchy – no mean feat in a genre that often prioritizes cerebral stimulation over emotional connection.

*Lei Line Eon* isn't without its challenges. At times, Malliagh's vision feels almost too dense, too packed with competing ideas and sonic information. Tracks like "Amu" and "Clear Tamei" occasionally collapse under the weight of their own ambition, becoming exercises in technical prowess rather than genuine musical expression. Yet these moments of overreach feel almost necessary, like the growing pains of an artist pushing against the very boundaries of what electronic music can achieve.

The production throughout is nothing short of stunning. Every sound feels precisely placed yet organically evolved, as if these compositions grew rather than were constructed. Malliagh's attention to detail is obsessive – each listen reveals new layers, new connections, new moments of startling beauty hidden within the controlled chaos.

Two years on, *Lei Line Eon* feels increasingly prescient. In an era of shortened attention spans and algorithmic music consumption, Iglooghost has created something that demands deep listening, rewarding patience with moments of genuine transcendence. The album has found its audience among electronic music obsessives and forward-thinking DJs, while its influence can already be heard in the work of younger producers exploring similar territories.

*Lei Line Eon* confirms Iglooghost as one of electronic music's most vital voices – an artist unafraid to follow his muse into the strangest corners of the sonic universe. It's challenging, occasionally exhausting, but ultimately essential listening for anyone interested in